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The enemy of truth is Satan himself. His voice is subtle and his ways are cunning. Only the voice of God is absolute truth and knowing the Bible guards against false teaching. 2 Corinthians 11:4 makes clear that as believers, we are called to not simply believe every word as truth: “For if someone comes and proclaims […]

When we imagine ourselves as independent, we become captivated with our own plans. We pursue greatness for ourselves instead of giving glory to God. We want more money, bigger homes, newer cars, and better health. Our riddled calendars and unrealistic agendas reflect our lust after all these things. When not being intentional about quieting the noise […]

From a biblical perspective, guilt is black or white. You’re either guilty or not guilty. God has said that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). James says, “If you violate one portion of the law, you have violated the whole law.” Either you crossed the line, or you […]

It’s impossible to live in a fallen world with broken people and not deal with hurt. Simply put, we hurt others and we are hurt by others. When people treat you wrongly or outright sin against you, how do you react? Our responses can range from withdrawing, fear of rejection, or considering reality while continuing […]

Do you have problems that seem too great to bear? Do you wonder if there is a way out of your circumstances? In our humanness, we all yearn for a life free from trials and when we are confronted with the loss of a loved one, unemployment, or poor health, we are wrecked. When trouble […]

Today’s world is filled with deception that seems to take on new forms with each passing day. It’s easy to get caught up and many times we forget that real is rare. There’s nothing new about deception. Deception has taken on forms of lies, hoaxes, and fraud throughout history. Satan would be the most clever […]

When I consider foreign missions, memories from 2015/2016 trips to Kenya flood my mind. I’m sharing a story with you that was originally published in 2016. It was an honor to write about the work of Danny and Jeannie Lyons. It was a privilege to serve alongside such a special couple. “It was my first […]

In a previous blog post here, emphasis was placed on our call to the Great Commission and how the work need not only take place in those times we travel abroad. In this post, we look at some of the specifics of evangelism but first let’s consider that evangelism is a theological issue. That is, […]

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of […]

As I’m writing this it’s as if I can hear the voice of my younger brother asking his frequent question, What are you reading? And if you know me well, you know that I’ve been known to recommend more than a few books. Truth is, reading has the ability to stretch our thinking. When reading […]

The Secret of Contentment In Part Five of this series we looked at unbelief as the source of discontentment. Discontentment is a sin; it denies the right of God to do with us as He wills and it ignores the promise that God will never allow us to suffer more than we are able. (1 Cor. […]

My family is well aware that I’ve never been a flying-by-my-seat kind of woman. Surprises are awkward! Running behind leaves me frazzled beyond words. I value schedules and respect deadlines, which brings about working ahead and early arrivals. Confession: I’m a planner, keeping both paper and digital calendars to a fault. But when I take […]

The Source of Discontentment Why do we as believers often struggle with discontentment? What is the source of discontentment? In Part Four, we looked at the character of God as the foundation for contentment and how most times, people lack knowledge of God’s identity, God’s nature, and God’s character. Simply put, the consistency of our […]

In previous posts for this series, we’ve considered variables that serve as evidence of the Christian faith. The Word of God tells us the marks of a true Christian, including love, repentance, humility, growth, and desire for obedience. As we move forward in the letter of James, readers are reminded once again that Christians will […]

The Foundation of Contentment A. W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Most times, people lack knowledge of God’s identity, God’s nature, and God’s character. Our God is incomprehensible but we do know a few things about him with study of the Word. We know […]

Sometimes Hollywood celebrities promote acts of kindness, leaving the impression that they are making the world a better place. Good deeds might lead us to believe a person is of good character, but we are usually assuming falsely. Truth is, it makes them feel better about themselves. Commonly understood but not often stated, an act […]

Contentment is for Every Christian Early in this series, we established that contentment is independent of circumstances. In Part Two, we looked at where contentment is rooted. Both are contrary to the consistent message of the world: that happiness is found in more, better, and newer experiences. Contentment goes beyond emotions; it is never dependent […]

I live in the South, where we are quick to affirm our faith in the lyrics of our music, in wearing gimmicky T-shirts, and by drinking from coffee mugs with catchy Christian slogans. Our day-to-day Bible belt conversations are laced with Christianese, but do we actually stop to examine whether our professions of faith are […]

Where is Contentment Rooted? In Part One, we saw contentment as hard doctrine intersecting with real life: True contentment is not dependent on circumstances. Contentment does not envy people, places, or things. Difficult times and hard circumstances come for every believer but God promises that He will be with us, strengthening us. For the Christian, […]

What use is it if someone says she has faith but she has no works? Can that faith save her? In the letter of James we see usage of the words “religion” and “law.” At first glance, our modern-day usage of these words is many times not found palatable, but this deserves a closer look […]